Made in Sonoma County » Generalhttp://www.sonomawine.com/blog
The Sonoma County Vintners BlogThu, 31 Jul 2014 19:12:14 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1SONOMA COUNTY TOASTS THE START OF 2014 HARVESThttp://www.sonomawine.com/blog/sonoma-county-toasts-start-2014-harvest
http://www.sonomawine.com/blog/sonoma-county-toasts-start-2014-harvest#commentsThu, 31 Jul 2014 19:12:14 +0000http://www.sonomawine.com/blog/?p=1096First Harvested Winegrapes of the Season Sourced from Certified Sustainable Vineyard

July 31, 2014, Santa Rosa, Calif. – The Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW) and Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) are excited to announce that the region’s 2014 harvest season got off to an early start on Wednesday, July 30 at 10:15 p.m. with approximately 8 tons of pinot meunier grapes hand-harvested from J Vineyards & Winery’s “Nicole’s Vineyard,” a CSWA certified sustainable vineyard located on Eastside Road in the Russian River Valley. These grapes will be used for the winery’s sparkling wine program.

Sparkling wine is often used to celebrate special occasions and major milestones. Ironically, grapes used for sparkling wine, with their lower ripeness levels, are commonly the first grapes harvested, kicking off Sonoma County’s season each year.

“Given our strong commitment towards sustainable farming, it’s very fitting that the first grapes to be picked in Sonoma County this year are from vineyards certified sustainable through the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing,” says Karissa Kruse, President of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. “Harvest is an exciting time in Sonoma County and after a nail-biting year of dealing with the drought, we are thrilled that the grape quality is excellent.”

This year’s start to harvest is one of the earliest on record, but the moderate temperature this past month, with morning fog and afternoon sun, have helped the grapes mature and ripen at an optimal pace. Most winegrowers predict that harvest for still wines, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon, will start approximately 1-2 weeks earlier than average, around mid-to late August and end sometime in October. Despite the drought conditions, winegrowers and winemakers are excited by the quality of fruit on vines so far and believe it will be another excellent vintage throughout Sonoma County.

The Sonoma County Winegrowers and Sonoma County Vintners will continue to send out periodic updates on harvest. Visit http://wearesonomacounty.com/tag/2014-harvest to stay informed on the latest harvest news. You can also follow along on Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #SCHarvest14.

About the Sonoma County Winegrowers

The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, also known as Sonoma County Winegrowers, is a marketing and education organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier grape growing regions. SCW has oversight by California Department of Food and Agriculture which supports producer regions. With more than 1,800 growers, SCW’s goal is to increase awareness and recognition of the quality and diversity of Sonoma County’s grapes and wines through dynamic marketing and educational programs targeted to wine consumers around the world. In January 2014, SCW committed to becoming the nation’s first 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019. For more information about SCWC and its programs, visit www.sonomawinegrape.org

About Sonoma County Vintners

Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) is the leading voice of Sonoma County wine, dedicated to raising awareness and building understanding of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier wine regions, noted for its heritage of artisan winemaking, distinct growing regions, and extraordinary quality. Founded in 1944, SCV represents more than 200 wineries and affiliates of all sizes throughout the county. Learn more about SCV at www.sonomawine.com.

July 2, 2014, St. Helena, CA—Seven noted American wine regions have banded together in opposition to the rights-to-the-highest-bidder release of generic top level domain names (gTLDs) such as .wine and .vin by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The regional wine organizations that are driving the opposition include the Oregon Wine Board (545 wineries), the Napa Valley Vintners (500 wineries), Sonoma County Vintners (230 wineries), Willamette Valley Wineries Association (200 wineries), Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (160 wineries), the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association (150 wineries), the Walla Walla Wine Alliance (75 wineries) and the Long Island Wine Council (48 wineries).
These seven organizations, which collectively represent nearly 2,000 wineries, are voicing strong objections to the issuing of the .wine and .vin gTLDs, citing non-existent to grossly insufficient safeguards from illegitimate companies hijacking the history of fine winemaking in America and the rigorous, multi-generational efforts that have gone into creating, promoting and protecting quality winemaking regions across the country.
ICANN was established in the early days of the Internet to direct Web traffic to the correct servers and websites.
If granted to unscrupulous bidders, second-level domain names such as napavalley.wine or wallawalla.wine could be held in perpetuity by a company or individual that has never seen a vineyard, cultivated fine wine grapes or made a single bottle of wine.
“When it comes to fine wine, the distinctive expression of place matters a great deal,” noted Tom Danowski, executive director for the Oregon Wine Board. “The importance of protecting the quality reputations of our fine winegrowing regions is what concerns us about ICANN’s recent action on domain names such as .wine or .vin. Fine wine consumers could be deceived into believing that they are visiting a website associated with a genuine product exhibiting the specific qualities and unique characteristics of a growing region, when they are in fact being influenced by an imitator who happened to be the highest bidder for that particular domain name.”
Citing the potential for consumer confusion and possible negative economic impact on the American fine wine industry, members of Congress, including Mike Thompson of California’s 5th District and Anna G. Eshoo, of California’s 18th District have appealed to both ICANN and the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to delay or permanently stop the issuing of these domain names.
Of special concern in these discussions is an incorrect and misleading statement by the NTIA’s senior telecommunications policy advisor and U.S. advisor to ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee, Suzanne Radell, that it is “just three U.S. wineries out of thousands and thousands” that are objecting to issuing of the .wine and vin gTLDs while addressing ICAAN’s public meetings held in London last week. The coalition of American quality wine regions representing nearly 2,000 U.S. wineries clearly contradicts Radell’s testimony in London on June 22.
The Oregon Wine Board, Napa Valley Vintners, Sonoma County Vintners, Willamette Valley Wineries Association, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association, Walla Walla Wine Alliance and the Long Island Wine Council are also signatories of the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origin, founded in 2005.About Sonoma County Vintners: Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) is the leading voice of Sonoma County wine, dedicated to raising awareness of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier wine regions, noted for its heritage of artisan winemaking, distinct growing regions and extraordinary quality. Founded in 1944, SCV represents more than 250 wineries and affiliated businesses throughout the county. Learn more about SCV at www.SonomaWine.com.

Sonoma County Vintners was featured in the May 29 issue of the Press Democrat in a great story on our marketing efforts in China by reporter Derek Moore.

Sonoma County vintners aim to spark interest in Asia

By Derek Moore

Dan Kosta believes pinot noir sourced from Sonoma County grapes rivals the best red wines in the world.

His Chinese hosts may take some convincing.

Kosta is with other Sonoma County vintners on an unprecedented promotional tour in China aimed at sparking interest in the region’s wine offerings. The two-week trip, which wraps up today, represents the most ambitious effort yet to raise the profile of Sonoma County wines in Asia, which offers huge opportunities for growth amid regulatory, financial and cultural hurdles.

At the Waldorf-Astoria in Beijing, the Hyatt on the Bund in Shanghai and other stops along the way, the contingent representing more than 20 Sonoma County wineries has been popping the cork on a place many Chinese wine consumers have never heard of.

Kosta, co-founder of Kosta-Browne Winery in Sebastopol, said he hopes the trip will “grow and nurture a global awareness of our brand, much in the model of some of the higher-end Burgundy houses.” Midway through the journey, he described difficulties imparting that message because of the language barrier and challenges conveying the “abstract concepts” of wine. However, he described his hosts as “very warm and open-minded.”

The trip represents the 14th consecutive trade mission to China organized by the California Wine Institute, but the first time that Sonoma County wines are the focus of the delegation. The journey was six months in the planning.

When it comes to American wines, Chinese consumers are most familiar with Napa Valley, said the Wine Institute’s Linsey Gallagher. She said this trip affords an opportunity to put the spotlight on another wine region.

Gallagher said Asia represents “the next frontier in terms of developing wine markets. Everyone is focused on it.”

Total U.S. wine exports hit a record $1.55 billion in 2013, up 16.4 percent compared to the previous year, according to the Wine Institute. Regionally, Japan, mainland China and Hong Kong were California’s third-, fourth- and fifth-largest export markets by value after the European Union and Canada. The three Asian markets represent a total export value of $223.4 million.

Sonoma County wines, however, are still a “blip on the radar” in China, said Honore Comfort, executive director of Sonoma County Vintners.

“It takes a long time to build the reputation of a region,” Comfort said. “The reason why this trip is significant is because it’s our first major foray to do that.”

The Sonoma County contingent spent the first week of the trip hosting wine seminars and tastings in the mainland China cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. This week, the group is in Hong Kong for Vinexpo Asia-Pacific, which is attended by 18,000 wine trade professionals.

Comfort said the trip builds on a visit Chinese wine writers, educators and trade professionals made to Sonoma County last year.

Sonoma County vintners face formidable challenges increasing their market share in China, including costs associated with getting their product overseas and into the glasses of consumers. A Sonoma County wine that retails in the United States for $12 sells for $50 to $60 in China after all of the fees and taxes are factored in, said Steve Messinger with Vinum Exports in Santa Rosa.

He said the Chinese government’s new austerity program, announced in fall 2013, has mainly dampened sales of higher-end European wines, but also affected sales of California varietals. Wine exports to China were down slightly in the first quarter of 2014, according to Gallagher at the Wine Institute.

Messinger, who is taking part in the Asia trip, said there’s much more of a domestic wine industry in China than when he first visited the country in 1997. He said the number of people living in Shanghai alone — 20 million people — represents an opportunity for growth.

“If you can deal with 1 percent of that population, that’s a serious number,” said Messinger, who described the target market for Sonoma County wines as wealthy, well-educated Chinese who have visited or lived in the United States.

David Fischer, director of sales and marketing for Ramey Wine Cellars in Healdsburg, said his main focus on the trip is to evaluate the potential for exporting wine to mainland China. The winery has been shipping wine to Hong Kong for more than a decade, he said.

Fischer said the group’s events in China were well-attended and that the response to the seminars and tastings was “very positive.”

The promotional tour comes at a testy time in Sino-American relations, with both countries trading allegations of corporate espionage and cyber-hacking. But international politics is not a focus for the marketing group, said Comfort with Sonoma County Vintners.

Messinger said China’s skyscrapers and other obvious signs of wealth are evidence to him that capitalism is thriving there. He said engaging with China is best for “breaking down a lot of those old beliefs.”

You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @deadlinederek.

See the article here: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20140528/business/140529518

]]>http://www.sonomawine.com/blog/scv-asia-tour-featured-press-democrat/feed0Sonoma Wine Country Weekend Doubles Contributions and Delivers Over One Million Dollars to Local Charitieshttp://www.sonomawine.com/blog/sonoma-wine-country-weekend-doubles-contributions-delivers-one-million-dollars-local-charities-2013-event
http://www.sonomawine.com/blog/sonoma-wine-country-weekend-doubles-contributions-delivers-one-million-dollars-local-charities-2013-event#commentsTue, 11 Mar 2014 17:24:39 +0000http://www.sonomawine.com/blog/?p=1062Wine Community and Recipients Gather at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn for Check Presentation March 7

Sonoma County, CA, March 7, 2014 – A record-breaking total of $1,086,350in contributions to 44 Sonoma County non-profit organizations was distributed today from the hugely successful 2013 Sonoma Wine Country Weekend. Over 100 guests representing Sonoma County’s wine industry leadership, non-profit organizations, local dignitaries, and top donors celebrated the momentous donation at a luncheon hosted by the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn in Sonoma Valley.

The record-breaking figure includes over $700,000 from the Fund the Future initiative to support children’s literacy programs, which was raised during the Sonoma Harvest Wine Auction last September. Beginning in 2013, the Fund the Future literacy initiative supports successful Sonoma County organizations focused upon childhood literacy and preparing kids to read. These funds will be divided between Fund the Future beneficiaries Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, Community Action Partnership: Pasitos Playgroups, and United Way: Schools of Hope.

In addition, over $385,000 in Sonoma Wine Country Weekend Community Grants ranging from $2,000-$15,000 were awarded to 41 charitable groups located across Sonoma County. Last year’s contributions to Fund the Future and Community Grants from the 2012 event totaled of $483,500, reflecting a 55% increase in revenues for 2013.

Squire Fridell of GlenLyon Vineyards & Winery and the President of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Foundationannounced the donation total to the group. “As Sonoma County’s leading wine fundraising event, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend brings the wine industry and our guests together to support our community by investing in our youth and children for their future success, by preserving our environment and natural resources, and by improving health and welfare of our local communities.” To date, the event has given more than $12 million dollars to help secure Sonoma County’s future through the work of important non-profit organizations.

Dan Goldfield of Dutton-Goldfield Winery and President of the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation stated, “Today is a great day for our vintner and grower community as we award our Sonoma Wine Country Weekend contributions to more than forty non-profit organizations from across Sonoma County. Wine is community. No other endeavor is as connected to the place where it is made as wine, and the stronger our community is, the stronger we as vintners and growers can be at what we do. It is an honor to be able to support organizations in every town in our community. Thank you to again to everyone who helped us get here.”

In addition to supporting over thirty Sonoma County charities each year, over $2.5 million in Sonoma Wine Country Weekend gross proceeds directly support the local economy and marketing and promotion of Sonoma County growers and vintners year-round. Promotion and media coverage of the event generates hundreds of millions of additional media impressions for Sonoma County wines and tourism.

About 2014 Sonoma Wine Country Weekend Sponsors and Beneficiaries

As Sonoma County’s leading annual wine fundraising event, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend brings the wine industry, chefs, and guests together to invest in our community by supporting youth and children for future success, preserving our environment, and improving health and welfare of our local communities.

A partnership between Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance and Sonoma County Vintners, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend takes place on Labor Day weekend each year and features Taste of Sonoma at MacMurray Ranch®,Sonoma Harvest Wine Auction at Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma Starlight at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, and an assortment of intimate and exclusive winery lunch and dinner parties at multiple locations throughout Sonoma County. To date, more than $12 million has been invested in Sonoma County’s future. For more information visit www.SonomaWineCountryWeekend.com.

]]>http://www.sonomawine.com/blog/sonoma-wine-country-weekend-doubles-contributions-delivers-one-million-dollars-local-charities-2013-event/feed0Sonoma County Named Wine Region of the Year by Swedish Wine Grouphttp://www.sonomawine.com/blog/sonoma-county-selected-wine-region-year-top-swedish-wine-organization
http://www.sonomawine.com/blog/sonoma-county-selected-wine-region-year-top-swedish-wine-organization#commentsWed, 12 Feb 2014 21:37:27 +0000http://www.sonomawine.com/blog/?p=1051

Leadership of the world’s largest wine appreciation organization, Sweden-based Munskänkarna, pose for a photo during their visit to Sonoma County at ParTake Restaurant in Healdsburg. They are visiting Sonoma County and Napa after naming them the “Wine Region of the Year” for their club’s educational focus among its 23,500 members this year. (Credit: George Rose)

Group Leadership Visits Sonoma County to Prepare for

Events and Tastings for over 23,500 European Wine Consumers

Sonoma County, CA – February 11, 2014 — The leadership of Swedish wine club Munskänkarna traveled to Sonoma County this week to formally announce their selection of Sonoma County and Napa as the group’s “Wine Regions of the Year for 2014”. Along with a kick-off reception taking place at Kunde Family Estate in Sonoma Valley on February 10, the group’s weeklong visit includes extensive winery visits and regional association meetings. This is the first time an American wine region has been selected for this distinction.

Many members of Munskänkarna’s 12-person delegation will conduct the seminars throughout the year, so the trip offers club leadership the opportunity to understand the region more fully and share first-hand experiences. During 2014, over 140 Sonoma County and Napa Valley wine seminars and tastings will be conducted for the group’s 23,500 person membership. Seminar support will also come from international representatives of the California Wine Institute.

“We are thrilled to receive this recognition and host Munskänkarna this week in Sonoma County,” said Honore Comfort, Sonoma County Vintners executive director. “We relish the opportunity to show them our range of high quality wines, stunning natural beauty, and connect them with our winegrowers and winemakers who are so passionate about producing wine in this special place.”

About Munskänkarna

Munskänkarna, a Swedish non-profit organization educating and informing people about wine and other alcoholic drinks, was established in 1958. The group currently has more than 23,500 members. Club activities include wine tastings, seminars, winemaker’s dinners, workshops and wine courses.

Each year the board of Munskänkarna selects a special wine city/region for their focus. Sonoma County and Napa Valley are the first American regions to be selected and join a prestigious list of previously featured regions including Porto, Chianti Classico, Stellenbosch, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

About Sonoma County Vintners

Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) is the leading voice of Sonoma County wine, dedicated to raising awareness and building understanding of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier wine regions, noted for its heritage of artisan winemaking, distinct growing regions, and extraordinary quality. Founded in 1944, SCV represents more than 200 wineries and affiliates of all sizes throughout the county. Learn more about SCV at www.SonomaWine.com.

Press Release from Sonoma County Winegrowers and Sonoma County Vintners

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (January 15, 2014) — Sonoma County wines are renowned throughout the world for their award-winning quality and superb taste. And in the near future, consumers will be able to purchase any Sonoma County wine with confidence knowing that all of the region’s wines are grown and made in the nation’s first 100% sustainable county.

The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, also known as Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW), announced today that Sonoma County is committed to becoming the nation’s first 100% sustainable wine region through a three-phased program to be completed within the next five years. Although many of the region’s multigenerational wine growers and winemakers have been practicing sustainable farming techniques and winemaking practices for decades, this initiative demonstrates their seriousness and commitment to ensuring all vineyards and wineries across Sonoma County will soon be sustainable.

“Our county’s grape growers and winemakers have long been at the forefront of creating and utilizing sustainable practices in the vineyard, in the winery and in running their businesses, so this is the next natural step in their continued evolution,” said Karissa Kruse, president of the Sonoma County Winegrowers, an organization representing 1,800 wine growers throughout Sonoma County. She added, “Sonoma County has great leaders who have championed the wine industry’s sustainable efforts, and I’m proud of the unparalleled partnership between Sonoma County Winegrowers and Sonoma County Vintners that enables us to put this stake in the ground for sustainability as a wine region.”

The first phase of this effort will focus on helping winegrowers assess their sustainable vineyard practices through trainings and educational sessions focused on over 200 best management practices such as land use, canopy management, energy efficiency, water quality assessments, carbon emissions; healthcare and training for employees and being a good neighbor and community member. Although many vineyards and wineries are already implementing sustainable practices, the goal is to assess, and collect the assessment data of 15,000 vineyard acres per year for the next four years until every acre of planted vines are under assessment for sustainability. As vineyard acres are assessed, phase two will involve the Sonoma County Winegrowers working with vineyard owners to achieve certification. Once the winegrower program has kicked off, focus will be expanded to work with wineries and winemakers to roll out sustainability assessments and certification all with a goal of 100% sustainability for the wine industry in Sonoma County by 2019. The key of sustainability is continuous improvement. Once all of the county’s vineyards and wineries are recognized as sustainable, improvement plans will be developed to provide access to new production models, techniques and approaches.

To ensure against “greenwashing,” third-party verification and certification programs will be used such as the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance’s Code of Sustainability that involves 15 chapters and over 200 best practice assessments for growers and wineries, focused on environmental, social and economic viability and continuous improvement with verification by a third-party certifier. Another critically-important factor to this initiative is transparency, which will be accomplished through regular progress updates, an annual Sonoma County Wine Region Sustainability Report Card and a vineyard and winery real-time tracker on the SCW website.

“I commend the growers and wineries of Sonoma County for pursuing this bold initiative. It speaks volumes about their love of the land and their commitment to environmental stewardship, their community and their consumers,” said Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. She added, “It is a unique branding proposition and I wish them great success.”

Sonoma County’s wine industry is primarily comprised of multi-generational family businesses, which by their very structure, are sustainable. There are 59,218 acres planted to vineyards, which accounts for only 6% of Sonoma County’s total acreage. In fact, more than 40% of Sonoma County’s vineyard parcels are less than 20 acres, with 80% of the county’s vineyards less than 100 acres. “Having spent the last 40 years farming around a thousand acres of vineyards throughout Sonoma County, I am really excited to participate in this major initiative to make our county 100% sustainable,” said Duff Bevill, Bevill Vineyard Management. He added, “I have long felt that sustainability is the best approach to ensure we protect our land for future generations, improve the quality of life for our employees, and enhance the community where we live and work.”

Sonoma County has some of the world’s most prized grape growing areas in the world with the first vineyards dating back to the 1820s. The region’s unique combination of rich geological history, fog patterns generated by its 70-mile Pacific Ocean coastline, and topography has given rise to 16 unique American Viticultural Areas (AVA). Each AVA offers distinct climate, soils and temperature areas perfect for growing world-class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and more. Sonoma County is also home to around 450 wineries whose wines are renowned throughout the world. In a recently released report, Sonoma County’s wine industry brought an economic impact of $13.4 billion in 2012. This includes providing 54,297 full-time equivalent jobs, directly and indirectly, from winegrowing and winemaking in Sonoma County.

-end-

About Sonoma County Winegrowers Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, dba Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW), was established in 2006 as a non-profit marketing and educational organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier grape growing regions. With more than 1,800 growers, SCW’s goal is to increase awareness and recognition of the quality and diversity of Sonoma County’s grapes and wines through dynamic marketing and educational programs targeted to wine consumers around the world. For more information about SCWC and its programs, visit www.sonomawinegrape.org

About Sonoma County Vintners Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) is the leading voice of Sonoma County wine, dedicated to raising awareness and building understanding of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier wine regions, noted for its heritage of artisan winemaking, distinct growing regions, and extraordinary quality. Founded in 1944, SCV represents more than 200 wineries and affiliates of all sizes throughout the county. Learn more about SCV at www.sonomawine.com.

Sonoma County non-profit organizations are invited to submit applications for Community Grants from the proceeds of the 2013 Sonoma Wine Country Weekend. A total of $370,000 will be donated early next year to local charitable non-profit organizations by the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Foundation and the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation, the foundations associated with Sonoma Wine Country Weekend.

Grant amounts from each organization will range from $2,000-15,000. Priority will be given where funds are earmarked to meet a particular need rather than a continuation of ongoing basic program services. Applications must be received by 12:00pm on January 15, 2014 and the committee will notify all applicants of their decisions by February 21, 2014.

Sonoma Summit attendees take a moment from their tour and tasting of vineyards in the Rockpile AVA for a group photo. Photo: George Rose

By Sean Carroll, Sonoma County Winegrowers

Santa Rosa, CA, November 26, 2013 – The sixth annual Sonoma Summit brought 32 of America’s top wine buyers and sommeliers to Sonoma County for a three-day immersion in Sonoma County wines November 4-6. Sonoma Summit is jointly sponsored by Sonoma County Vintners and Sonoma County Winegrowers, and is produced by Full Circle Wine Solutions and moderated by respected Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein.

In addition to tasting over 75 of Sonoma County’s finest wines during several master classes, panel discussions, other events and activities, attendees met over 50 Sonoma County winemakers and grape growers, which allowed them the opportunity to hear about the vineyard sites, growing conditions, and winemaking practices firsthand.

Attendees represent some of the country’s most prestigious restaurants and hotels and are considered influencers in the wine trade. The group included beverage professionals from top restaurants and retailers, including ARIA and Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Restaurant Gary Danko and Rich Table in San Francisco, and Mozza and Crustacean Beverly Hills from southern California. “Our goal is to teach these thought leaders about our region and wines, so that they can deepen their knowledge and appreciation of Sonoma County and become ambassadors for our wines in their home markets,” said Sonoma County Vintners Executive Director Honore Comfort.

The program featured a comparative tasting of several Pinot Noirs sourced from the same vineyard to explain different winemaking approaches and their impact on the wine, as well as a double-blind tasting of Chardonnays to showcase the diversity of Sonoma County and help explain why this varietal thrives in almost all of the region’s AVA’s. Other master classes and seminars included a tasting and panel discussion on Zinfandel; a vineyard tour and tasting in the Rockpile AVA, and several food pairing exercises with Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and other wines. Each seminar featured winegrowers and winemakers discussing their vineyard practices and winemaking techniques, and how they work together to create distinctive wines.

“This year’s Sonoma Summit allowed us to showcase the partnership between our growers and winemakers that is essential to producing world class wines,” said Karissa Kruse, President of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. “Throughout Sonoma Summit tastings, our winegrowers provided their perspective on site, soil, farming practices, and the impact of Mother Nature each vintage so that attendees would go home knowledgeable about the critical role viticulture plays in our wines.”

“The whole experience was fantastic. Being able to meet and connect with winemakers to really understand wine beyond the label really helps bridge the gap between book study and fully understanding the wines. The winemakers and winegrowers were all very generous with their time and the information they shared. I carry many of the wines we tasted on my list and now have a deeper connection to them and great stories and information I can share with my customers,” said Brandon Rastok, John Howie Steak in Seattle.

“This was the best event I have attended in a long time. It was very well organized and full of information and useful tastings, but never felt rushed. I will recommend it to all of my friends and colleagues,” said Nick Hetzel, MS, Sage at ARIA in Las Vegas.

“This program was one of the most educational trips I have ever experienced. The collection of people really brought a new perspective to the wines of the region. I learned so much about the diversity of Sonoma County, and it is truly a gift to come and visit the wineries and vineyards and fully experience the terroir of a wine. I feel like a made a real home run connection with the region,” said Erica Wosky, Rich Table in San Francisco.

About Sonoma County Vintners Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) is the leading voice of Sonoma County wine, dedicated to raising awareness and building understanding of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier wine regions, noted for its heritage of artisan winemaking, distinct growing regions, and extraordinary quality. Founded in 1944, SCV represents more than 200 wineries and affiliates of all sizes throughout the county. Learn more about SCV at www.sonomawine.com.

About Sonoma County WinegrowersSonoma County Winegrape Commission, dba Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW), was established in 2006 as a non-profit marketing and educational organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier grape growing regions. With more than 1,800 growers, SCW’s goal is to increase awareness and recognition of the quality and diversity of Sonoma County’s grapes and wines through dynamic marketing and educational programs targeted to wine consumers around the world. For more information about SCWC and its programs, visit www.sonomawinegrape.org

Sonoma County photographer George Rose does a wonderful job capturing the natural beauty of this very special and beautiful place, and the vintage from start to finish in this brief video slideshow. Take a look and see what makes Sonoma County and its 16 distinctive wine regions so special. We hope you will come experience it for yourself soon!

Harvest gets underway Sunday night, August 11 at J Vineyards in Russian River Valley, Sonoma County. Grapes are being harvested for sparkling wines. Photos: George Rose

Back-to-back outstanding vintages praised by winegrowers & winemakers

throughout Sonoma County’s 16 AVA’s

By Sean Carroll, Sonoma County Winegrowers

November 14, 20013 — With Sonoma County’s 2013 harvest season now complete, many winegrowers and winemakers are touting this year’s exceptional quality seen throughout our 16 AVA’s. The region experienced another ideal growing season that was long and provided moderate temperatures for grapes to ripen at the optimal speed. The result is another stellar vintage defined by clean, outstanding fruit characteristics with balanced acidity, tannins, and sugar levels.
This year’s harvest started slightly earlier than previous years on August 9, and the pace quickly sped up towards the end of August and throughout September as many varieties (white and red) ripened at the same time, including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and some Zinfandel. This created some issues for tank space inside wineries, but winegrowers and winemakers were able to work together to ensure picking schedules and quality remained unaffected. This rapid pace allowed harvest to end for most around the last week in October, roughly two-to-three weeks earlier than normal seasons.
After last year’s record breaking crop size, it seemed unlikely that 2013 would follow suit. But, early reports show that this year’s harvest could be another big sized crop. It’s still too early to know for sure, but one thing is evident: 2013 is another banner year for quality. Some are already calling it a “phenomenal, outstanding” vintage for Sonoma County.
“2013 delivered another exceptional harvest in Sonoma County. After the bounty of 2012, many were skeptical whether or not Mother Nature would bestow kindness two years in a row. However, 2013 is shaping up to be an outstanding vintage in both quantity and quality. Harvest came early, was very compacted, ended almost three weeks early across the county and still delivered excellent quality.” – Karissa Kruse, President of the Sonoma County Winegrowers.

Here are some quotes from the “front vines” of several of our AVA’s:

“Winemakers continue to believe that the quality of the 2013 fruit is outstanding. Great colors extraction from reds, no weather related rots to contend with; just about perfect in all respects.” – Duff Bevill, Founder & Partner at Bevill Vineyard Management

Alexander Valley

“Fruit quality this year has been very good. The heat spell we had right before harvest didn’t cause any damage to speak of. We did see some shriveling of the tips of the clusters in our later harvested fruit. Wine quality in the tank, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, has been excellent.” – Brad Petersen, Vineyard Manager at Silver Oak Cellars & Twomey Cellars, and Sonoma County Winegrowers Chairman

“It was fast and furious and at times felt like we could barely hold on, but worth the price of admission. The reds might be out shining the whites at this point. Dark, vibrant color of the reds are mesmerizing. Pinot has been pretty outstanding, delicate and full, showing great early. There was a lot of sugar which translates into abundant alcohol so the Sauvignon Blanc are a little more developed than I’d like but with blending we can get them back in balance. Zinfandel is dark and beautifully perfumed. All and all stellar vintage” – Susan Lueker, Director of Winemaking at Simi Winery

Dry Creek Valley

“A few scares with rain had us scrambling early on in the harvest but our fears did not come to fruition. The rains we did see were minimal and were followed by steady winds that dried the grapes. We came through the vintage unscathed and with some excellent grapes in the tank. The wines promise to be delicious and will be the perfect complement to the quality we saw in 2012. Cabernet Sauvignon are going to be stellar. We at Dutcher Crossing expect the wines to be lush and dense with great complexity.” – Matt Ward, Winemaker’s Assistant at Dutcher Crossing Winery.

Knights Valley

“One of the best on record. Steady growing season with no major weather events. It was a little shocking to have such a strong year with so little rain early in the year. You can never tell what nature will give you, but I am sure happy that it gave us 2013! Our Cabernet Sauvignon is showing excellent concentration and complexity.“ – Tim Carl, Managing Partner, Knights Bridge Winery

Russian River Valley

“With the fantastic weather throughout the season the fruit quality was excellent with very little sunburn, raisining or rot & the ability to achieve optimal ripeness. This year our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley stands out for their excellent quality.” – Mick Schroeter, Sonoma-Cutrer Winemaking Director

Sonoma Valley

“2013 harvest allowed for back-to-back exceptional Sonoma County vintages across the board. Fruit was the cleanest and ripest (phenolically and maturity) in the last five years. Quality was enhanced with brief heat spells followed by cool days that allowed for full development of flavors. The skins and seeds were as ripe as you wanted them. There were definitely above average yields but in some respects it acted as a blessing as it allowed the fruit to slowly ripen and develop ideal flavors. The success of the vintage was not unearned as we had to deal with two weather systems that gave us unwanted precipitation. We were extremely fortunate that winds and heat followed to eliminate any potential issues.” – Steve Sangiacomo at Sangiacomo Family Vineyards

“Unlike some of our more recent past vintages, 2013 kept us on our toes, moving fast and furious. No hurry up and wait this year. It was go, go, go! The growing conditions couldn’t have been better. We had a wealth of sunshine and consistently warm days and cool nights, giving fruit ample time to develop full, rich flavors with great color and balance. We picked fruit from all over Sonoma County, specifically Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Rockpile, Green Valley, Russian River Valley and Carneros, and we were tremendously pleased with the high quality of fruit from every region.” – Chris Louton, Winemaker at St Francis Winery & Vineyards